Best CRM for Tattoo Artists: Because Remembering 500 Clients’ Details In Your Head Doesn’t Scale
Pop quiz: that regular client who comes in every three months — what’s her name? What did you tattoo last time? Does she have any allergies? Did she mention she wanted a matching piece for her sister’s birthday? What ink brand did you use on her last piece because she had a reaction to a different one two years ago?
If you’re relying on memory for this stuff, you’re going to drop the ball eventually. And in tattooing, dropping the ball can mean anything from an awkward “remind me what we talked about” to using an ink someone’s allergic to.
A CRM — Customer Relationship Management tool — is just a fancy way of saying “a place to keep notes about your clients.” It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. But you need one.
What a Tattoo CRM Actually Needs to Track
Forget the enterprise CRM features like “sales pipeline management” and “lead scoring.” For tattoo artists, a CRM needs to track:
Client basics: Name, phone, email, date of birth (for age verification), emergency contact.
Medical/allergy info: Skin conditions, allergies (especially to inks, adhesives, or latex), medications that affect bleeding or healing (blood thinners, accutane), history of fainting.
Tattoo history with you: Every piece you’ve done on them — date, design, placement, size, session length, ink colors/brands used, machine and needle configuration, photos of the finished work.
Preferences and notes: Do they like conversation or quiet during sessions? Do they need breaks? Any placement areas they’ve mentioned wanting work in the future? Are they a “let the artist have creative freedom” person or a “I want it exactly like the reference” person?
Communication history: Past bookings, cancellations, no-shows, design consultations, messages exchanged.
Financial history: Total spent, average session value, deposit history, outstanding balances (for multi-session pieces).
This is the stuff that makes a client feel like you actually care about them — because you do, and now you can prove it by not asking the same questions every visit.
The Best CRM Options for Tattoo Artists
1. Porter CRM (Built into Porter) — Best Integrated Option
Price: Included in all Porter plans ($79-249/mo) Best for: Shops already using Porter for booking
Porter’s CRM is tightly integrated with their booking and management platform, which is both its biggest strength and limitation.
What it tracks:
- Complete client profiles with contact info, medical history, and consent forms
- Full tattoo history with photos linked to each session
- Session notes (ink used, needle config, machine settings)
- Communication log — every message, booking, and interaction
- Financial summary per client (total spent, average session, tips)
- Client tags and segments (VIP, new client, touched up, etc.)
- Automatic tracking — most of this populates from bookings without manual entry
Why it’s great: When a client books through Porter, their profile automatically updates. You don’t have to manually enter session details separately — it pulls from the completed appointment. This is the key advantage of an integrated CRM versus a standalone tool.
Limitations: It’s only available as part of Porter’s full platform. You can’t buy just the CRM. If you’re not on Porter for booking, this isn’t an option.
2. TattooPro.io CRM — Best Budget Tattoo-Specific CRM
Price: Included in all plans ($29-89/mo) Best for: Solo artists and small shops who want tattoo-specific client management at a low price
TattooPro.io includes a CRM that covers the essentials:
- Client profiles with contact info and medical history
- Tattoo history and session notes
- Consent form storage linked to each client
- Booking history and upcoming appointments
- Basic tags and notes
It’s not as feature-rich as Porter’s CRM, but it covers 80% of what you need at a fraction of the cost. For a solo artist, $29/month for booking + CRM + consent forms is hard to beat.
3. Tattoo Studio Pro CRM — Best for Client Experience
Price: Included in Professional ($99/mo) and Enterprise ($149/mo) Best for: Studios focused on premium client experience
Tattoo Studio Pro’s CRM emphasizes the client-facing experience:
- Detailed client profiles
- Tattoo history with before/after photos
- Client-accessible portal where they can view their tattoo history and upcoming bookings
- Preference tracking and session notes
- Birthday and anniversary reminders for re-engagement
The client portal is unique — your clients can log in and see their tattoo history, which adds a premium feel. Whether that justifies the $99+ price depends on your clientele.
4. Google Contacts + Google Sheets — Best Free DIY Option
Price: Free Best for: Artists who absolutely can’t spend anything and are disciplined about data entry
You don’t need software to have a CRM. A Google Sheet with client info and a Google Contact entry for each person is a perfectly functional CRM if you actually use it.
Set up a spreadsheet with columns: Name | Phone | Email | DOB | Allergies | Tattoo History | Notes | Total Spent | Last Visit | Source (how they found you)
The catch: You have to manually update it after every session. Nobody does this consistently. You’ll be great about it for two weeks, then start slipping. Within a month, half your clients aren’t in the system.
That’s why purpose-built software that auto-populates from bookings is worth the $29/month. But if you’re genuinely going to maintain a spreadsheet, it works.
5. HubSpot CRM — Best General Free CRM
Price: Free (paid plans from $20/mo) Best for: Shops that want a powerful CRM separate from their booking software
HubSpot’s free CRM is legitimately impressive:
- Unlimited contacts
- Contact management with custom properties
- Email tracking and templates
- Task and activity tracking
- Basic reporting
- Mobile app
For tattoo shops specifically: You’d create custom properties for tattoo-specific fields (allergies, ink preferences, tattoo history). It works, but it’s a lot of setup and nothing is tattoo-specific out of the box.
My honest take: Unless you’re already using HubSpot for marketing or you have a tech-savvy shop manager who loves setting up systems, this is overkill. A tattoo-specific CRM in your booking software is simpler and more practical.
How I Actually Use My CRM (Real Workflow)
Here’s how client management works in my shop, session by session:
Before the session:
- Pull up the client’s profile in Porter
- Review their previous work, allergies, notes from last session
- Check if there’s anything I noted about preferences (“likes to listen to music, doesn’t want to chat much”)
- Review the new piece details from their booking form
During the session:
- I don’t touch the CRM while tattooing — focus on the work and the client
After the session (takes 3 minutes):
- Upload photos of the finished piece to their profile
- Note the ink colors/brands used, needle configuration, machine
- Add any relevant notes (“mentioned wanting a half-sleeve eventually,” “heals slowly — recommended longer between sessions,” “brought her boyfriend, he wants a consultation next month”)
- Record the payment amount
That’s it. Three minutes after each session to update the profile. Those three minutes compound into an incredible client experience because next time they come in, you know everything.
The Payoff
Last month, a client came in who I hadn’t seen in 8 months. I pulled up her profile before she sat down and said “Hey! How did the peony on your forearm heal up? You mentioned you wanted to start a sleeve on that arm — still thinking about it?”
She lit up. She’d forgotten she even told me that. She booked a full sleeve — six sessions, roughly $4,000 in work. Would that have happened without the CRM? Maybe. But remembering details that clients forget they told you is the fastest way to build loyalty and trust.
CRM Features That Actually Matter for Tattoo Artists
When evaluating a CRM, prioritize these features (in order of importance):
1. Medical/Allergy Tracking
Non-negotiable. You need to know if someone has a latex allergy before you snap on gloves, or if they’re on blood thinners before you start a 6-hour session. This is a safety issue, not just a nice-to-have.
2. Tattoo History with Photos
Being able to pull up every piece you’ve done on a client, with photos, is invaluable for planning new work, color matching, and style continuity.
3. Session Notes
“Used Eternal Ink for black, Dynamic for grey wash, 9RL for lines, 15M1 for shading, Cheyenne Sol Nova.” These notes save your life when someone comes back for a touch-up a year later and you need to match everything.
4. Auto-Population from Bookings
If you have to manually enter everything, you won’t do it. The CRM should automatically create/update records from bookings.
5. Communication Log
Having a record of every conversation, booking, cancellation, and interaction prevents the “I’m sure we talked about this” moments.
6. Financial Tracking
Know your top clients by spend. Know your average client lifetime value. Know which clients haven’t been in for 6+ months. This data drives re-engagement campaigns.
What NOT to Waste Time On
Some CRM features sound cool but don’t matter for tattoo shops:
- Sales pipeline management — you’re not running a B2B sales team
- Lead scoring — every DM inquiry is basically the same priority
- Marketing automation sequences — unless you’re doing serious email marketing, you don’t need 12-step drip campaigns
- Integration with 50 other tools — you need it to talk to your booking software and maybe your accounting. That’s it.
- AI-powered insights — “Client X is 73% likely to rebook.” Cool. Or I could just text them.
My Recommendation
If you use Porter for booking: You already have a CRM. Start using it properly. Three minutes of notes after each session.
If you use TattooPro.io: Same — their built-in CRM covers the essentials. Use it.
If you use Square or a non-tattoo booking tool: Add a simple Google Sheet for client tracking, or switch to a tattoo-specific platform that includes CRM.
If you’re a larger shop wanting more power: HubSpot free CRM with custom properties for tattoo-specific fields. But only if someone on your team enjoys setting up systems.
The best CRM is the one you actually use. A simple system you update after every session beats an elaborate system you abandon after a week. Start with your booking platform’s built-in CRM and go from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do tattoo artists need a CRM?
Yes, a CRM helps tattoo artists track client preferences, tattoo history, allergies, and communication — leading to better service and more repeat bookings. Even a simple system dramatically improves the client experience and your business efficiency.
What is the best free CRM for tattoo artists?
HubSpot CRM offers a generous free tier with contact management, email tracking, and basic automation. For tattoo-specific features, TattooPro.io at $29/month includes a purpose-built CRM alongside booking and consent forms.